Shades of Conspiracy
by Joker's Specter
Summary: AU-Alternate Universe Fic- The ghosts of the past transform a city into a horrific replica of its old self. As the layers are peeled back, what will be discovered? Things will never be the same again for the poor souls thrown in the mix.
1. Prologue

**_Shades of Conspiracy_**  
**By Joker's Specter**

**This is a story I wrote when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. It was removed, and I lost all of the chapters and content to it. However, this is also quite possibly the _only_ story I've ever written where I had nearly the entire complex plot planned out. Since most of it's in my head, I'd like to give it another shot. Everything is being rewritten, so if you read the previous version (6 years ago?) then expect some differences. Quite a few of them will be major, as specific scenes left my memory long ago, or I just didn't like them when I previously wrote them. If anybody out there for some reason has a copy of the old version, I'd very much appreciate it if they could send it my way. It'd speed up the rewrite process. With all that being said, I hope GS fans new and old can enjoy my most ambitious story to date.**

**I'd also like to mention that another push I had in rewriting this story was that I recently began reading again a very excellent AU fiction titled "Project Psynergy" by Jake Delfeir. He and I used to talk about our AU fics together back in the day, and reading his amazing story made me want to give it another shot. I definitely recommend checking out his story-he still updates it to this day, unlike most authors with their stories. Myself included, unfortunately.**

**This is an Alternate Universe story taking place in a futuristic land. Reviews will be very much appreciated.**  
**-Joker**

**_Prologue_**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Golden Sun is owned by _Nintendo_ and _Camelot_.

* * *

The city of Weyard was unlike any other that had come before it. The government's tight grip on the citizens set the stage for control. The general populace's unwillingness to rebel and fight complicated things further for the free thinkers of the society. It wasn't a peaceful time, but there was little violence. To most people, at the end of the day the only thing that mattered was what was on television, what was for dinner, or whether or not they would get lucky.

Then there was a wave of spontaneous robberies. Desperate thieves packed weapons at their hips or in their back pockets. A homeowner was lucky if he didn't catch the thief. Some people had little to lose in taking a life.

And then, something changed. The city evolved into a new species entirely. Within thirty years, the city had been reborn.

The city was _moved_.

As if to erase the past, buildings began to be constructed directly parallel to the city of Weyard. The new dark-blue buildings all had a metallic, eye-catching sheen to them. Citizens were invited to move in at a low cost. The apartment complexes were all identical to the next, so no one person was above the other. Not a single family could say they lived in a bigger home than any other who lived in this new Weyard.

Skyscrapers larger than anything built in the old Weyard were constructed, attracting even more people. The city was becoming lively. Every person who didn't want to be left behind relocated to the metallic city. As a bonus to the people who wanted to live peacefully, guns were outlawed in new Weyard. Many families with young children lined up to get into new Weyard, their minds filled with the promise of a safer environment. Even the government changed its policies so that not a single person in Weyard , government or civilian, wielded a gun. Swords were issued to the government's lawmen and women instead of a firearm.

And then, eyebrows were raised when a wall was constructed. The ambitious project put a wall around both cities, new and old, boxing them both in together for eternity. Nobody knew why it was put up. The only two gates in and out were heavily guarded from the moment construction began. Visitors from other cities were no longer allowed in. Trade was handled at the gates, and traveled no further. Trespassers were killed on sight.

For a few years, people in both new and old Weyard were content. They all had jobs and homes. The civilians in the new Weyard were making more money and bragged about being happier, so more people came over from the old city. Abandoned homes started to decay. Lawns died out, and entire neighborhoods were becoming wastelands.

And then the unthinkable happened; it became a law to relocate. The government's usually aggressive behavior became much, much worse when it announced that people found living in old Weyard were subject to the death penalty, and would be executed then and there without a trial. People who refused to leave the houses they'd lived in for their entire lives were slain on their front lawns or in their favorite chair. If anybody in the new city raised their voice against the act, the government claimed it gave everybody a fair chance to reconsider, and that the dead knew of the consequences.

Soon, the news stopped reporting of the events in the old city. Instead of the bloodshed happening miles away from their own homes, the people of Weyard watched as the news showed the brilliant new projects underway, or how the government was doing everything it could to please the citizens.

They knew nothing of the active rebellion in old Weyard. Dozens of people were killed daily in an attempt to finally shut off the old city from the new; a purge of any and all who refused to join the content in the new city. People were shunned if they weren't in a shining apartment in the metallic city. The followers would laugh at anybody who missed the old city, and turn around and use their simple, plentiful currency to buy everything and anything the new Weyard had to offer them. They were in the government's clutches more than ever, and they didn't even know it.

Any mention of the old city painted it as a broken-down, dangerous wasteland. Entering it was illegal, and in most cases, any brave soul who left to check out the old city disappeared from the public's sight forever.

Often, the opposite would happen, and someone with torn clothing and a malnourished body would stumble through into the new city. Someone who had hidden out in the old city, avoiding the execution squads or fighting against them. The news called those people, and anybody still residing in the old Weyard, 'Homeless'. When a Homeless person showed their face in the new city, it was often a person who had finally given in and wanted to join their friends and family in the rapidly growing metallic version of Weyard. A rebel who had defected.

They, too, disappeared, never to be seen again. The government had given them their chance.

Years passed. The wall around the two cities was completed and stretched hundreds of feet into the air. The foundations of the wall went well below a person could hope to reach by digging. A construction vehicle was required to even hope to get that far, but the only vehicles given to Weyard's people were hovercrafts used to get around the city. All of them were blue in color and given a unique number; it was the only way to distinguish whose was whose in a crowded parking space.

Businesses were set up by the government and watched consistently. Hospitals were places where disappearances were a common occurrence. People were concerned, but the news could spin anything in the government's favor. Television networks were nearly identical to the next, all of them being guided by the same shadowy hand.

None of that compared to how the schools were run.

Children were taught in front of the television on educational networks until the age of thirteen. From thirteen to eighteen, students gathered at a tall building where they were sorted into many different classes. They were questioned, tested, and taught for five years. For five years the officials would figure out what made each student tick. Depending on how things went at what was called the Placement School, one of three things would happen.

The first and most frequent option was getting sent to the school in northern Weyard, where they were eventually integrated into the society's working class. They were placed in jobs based on what they were good at and what they would enjoy. As long as they enjoyed their job, nobody would complain. In the rare instance that people complained about their job, they were said to have relocated to a new job, and never seen again in the massive city.

The second, less frequent option was for a person to get shipped off to the school in southern Weyard. Attendees of the southern school eventually became integrated into the government's workings, often as a member of their four-man squads of wandering agents-the physical appearance of the government's iron fist. Most cities in the world had policemen and women. Weyard had the agents-a horrific, efficient blending of old Weyard's police force and new Weyard's execution squads who fought the rebellious Homeless. Once the deadly agents were introduced, Homeless activities dwindled away as they were forced into hiding.

If a person was thrust into the third option, it was a big deal. The rarest event after turning eighteen was for a person to be sent to the 'Special School'; a school with no known location. Even more bizarre was that people who were sent there were always said to have found a high-profile job in another city, and supposedly shipped out without a word to their family or friends.

Once a person entered the Special School, they were considered heroes. People talked about the amazing jobs they would go into, or the scientific advances that particular person would help discover. Parents would weep in happiness as the government agents would come and take their eighteen-year-old genius to the school that would surely put their abilities to use in helping humanity. The teenager would often hug his or her family in a tight embrace that would seemingly never end. The tears would be frequent, but the teenager would tell his parents and siblings that he or she would write them often. Then they'd walk out the door with the government agents, waving excitedly to their family as they walked down the hallway and out of the metallic apartment building.

And, like many others before them, they were never seen again.

**!-E- -X- -T- -R- -A-!  
!-L- -I- -V- -E- -S-!**

**- Entry 1 -**  
_Hello Journal! My name is Kraden._

_I'm an eighteen-year old guy on my way to exciting opportunities! I've lived my entire life up to this point with my two parents and no siblings._

_Sorry if that sounded weird. The agents who picked me up told me to write that. My age, my name, living conditions prior to being shipped off, things like that. Really, though, I am excited. I'm going to the Special School! People who go there become the heroes of the modern age. World changers, I like to call them; it's simple and understandable. I couldn't be happier!_

_I've never written a journal before, but I think I'm getting along very well so far. The agents gave you to me. I'm supposed to write my thoughts and feelings as I go through school. An interesting concept. Apparently every person attending the school has to do it. I'll probably have fun with it. And don't worry; I'll try to write my essays in a different notebook!_

_I'd be lying if I were to say I'm not nervous. I'm the first person to be sent to the Special School this year, and the year is nearly over. If ever I need an ego boost, I'll have to look no further than that fact. Hundreds of thousands in Weyard, and little brainy Kraden is the only one in a year to grace the hallways of the Special School. I think I might be getting emotional!_

_I have to be honest, this is easier than I thought. I never had many friends before. The only people I could talk to about my thoughts were my parents, and anything I said went right over their heads. Maybe I can put my more complicated thoughts and ideas down here... At the very least, you'll help me visualize them, won't you?_

_I'm told we're nearing the school, so I have to put you in my bag. Until next time!_

**- Entry 2 - **  
_Day one, complete! I must have fallen asleep in the car... I don't remember much. I was quite perplexed, and wondered if maybe I'd been forcefully put unconscious somehow, but I'm okay and my things are all with me. I can't see a reason for putting me out unless they wanted to harm me somehow, so I guess I just fell asleep. Maybe all of the excitement is getting to me._

_I haven't exactly been to any classes yet. So far I've only seen my room, which isn't much. I've been instructed to stay here by some guy in a suit who introduced himself as the headmaster. He didn't give me a name, unfortunately._

_For a place called the Special School, things aren't so special. My room looks more like a cell than anything. The bed is lumpy and cold, and there are no windows. The bathroom is almost nothing more than a hole in the wall with a toilet, sink, and shower crammed all together. And would it kill them to get a bookshelf in here with some good reading material? Thank goodness I brought my own books, or I'd try to go right back to sleep._

_Well, Journal, as much as I like writing, my hand is cramping. I'd better give it a rest for a while. To quote my favorite news anchor, "This is Kraden signing off! Good night Weyard!"_

**- Entry 3 - **  
_Things are definitely off here, Journal. This school is an enigma, and it doesn't make sense to me. Instead of attending classes, I'm to remain in my room. They actually lock me in here, too. Maybe prison cell wasn't too far off in my last entry..._

_I've been visited twice daily by the headmaster. This guy calls himself Dodonpa. He looks like he's trying to condition his body to be as pointy as possible. Elbows, knees, fingers...even his mustache ends in a fierce point at each end. He's real lanky, too. If I had met him on the street back home, I would've turned around and run in the other direction._

_He tells me that they're prepping me for the real deal. Those were his words, not mine. The more I think about it, the more I wonder to myself if I didn't really just fall asleep. Have I been kidnapped?_

_I need to think about this some more, alone. Sorry Journal._

**- Entry 4 - **  
_**Finally!** Some real education! And just when I was starting to doubt this school. It's not exactly the type of subject matter I was hoping to be introduced to, but at least it's something. They've set me up with a television, like in the old days when I was little. Not very effective if you ask me, but at least I get to learn at my own pace. The rewind button on this remote has already had its symbol rubbed off by my constant use. I love to analyze things._

_My current project is this video they've given me about the history of Weyard and the government. Apparently our current governor, Babi, has god-like powers. Weird? Yes, definitely, but he hasn't **aged in over thirty years**! He's the oldest man in Weyard, and he has the mind and body of someone half his age. The video says he's quickly coming up on his hundredth birthday; that's something that isn't public knowledge, if I remember correctly. I'd be reluctant to believe it, but this video is very persuasive. I'll believe he's been alive that long. The godly powers are a sham, though; that much should be apparent to anybody with a brain. That's probably why they haven't tried to show the general population this video explaining why he's been alive that long. It's strange that nobody has questioned it yet..._

_Come to think of it, didn't Weyard's movement project start thirty years ago? Hm, curious._

_I don't think I ever told you what I specialize in. You see, Journal, I'm a natural chemist. That's what the folks who recruited me to the Special School say, anyway. I know that with the elements provided on this planet, amazing things can be done to the human body. At home I was able to create a compound that would keep your body at a consistent temperature for an entire week. I could walk into a meat locker at the butcher down the road and never feel cold. Amazing, right?_

_But that's nothing to what this Babi guy has apparently figured out. Nobody realizes it yet, I think, but my theory is that he's discovered a compound to extend his life. Potentially, if he has infinite resources to create it with, he can live forever._

_Absolutely incredible._

_I'm glad I have you to discuss this with. I don't think another soul would believe my ramblings._

**- Entry 5 - **  
_I had a weird thought, Journal._

_If the government is lying to me about Babi's source of his longevity, then what else could they be lying about? It sends chills down my aching spine._

_My whole body is aching lately. I haven't had a comfortable place to sit or sleep in so long, I'm beginning to miss those phases when I'd sleep on the couch back home. Even if the cushions did keep falling off, it was better than this rug they call a bed. I'm going to complain next time Headmaster Dodonpa visits._

**- Entry 6 - **  
_I did it. I complained._

_He was surprisingly kind about it. He explained the accommodations were the result of the school's almost non-existent budget. It makes sense when you think of how few people attend the school. But even then, couldn't they at least go back to my house and bring that couch?_

_Hopeful wishing. That's all I ever do lately. I've been here for over a week and I've yet to start my real studies. I once again find myself wondering if I've been lied to._

**- Entry 7 - **  
_It seems you're the only one I can trust after all, Journal._

_Most of my things have been stolen. I don't know how it could have happened. I haven't left my room since I've been here, and the headmaster is the only person I ever see. All my meals are served via a chute from the ceiling (I thought it was fascinating at first), so no maids or butlers would be around my room._

_Everything but my change of clothes...gone. I pounded on my door until the headmaster showed up. When I explained the situation, he told me he'd look into it. Somehow I doubt that._

_I've decided I want to go back home. I don't know what to make of this place anymore._

**- Entry 8 - **  
_I don't get food anymore._

_It's been a week since I last wrote in you... Sorry, but I've been struggling ever since my things were stolen. They were the only things I had to remind me of home, so I've been depressed._

_You're probably wondering about the food thing. They've stopped serving me meals, and instead set me up with a "medication" that removes the need for food from my body. Sounds superb, right?_

_Except it's all a lie. I'm no idiot; they should know this by now. Observation is one of my strongest abilities. I notice all the bruises in my arm and puncture marks at my wrists. They're pumping nutrients into me while I'm asleep. Or, rather, when they put me out. I can't even begin to fathom what other horrid things they're doing to me._

_I'm not even believing the whole farce that this is a school anymore. I fell for it, and now they have me in their filthy lying hands. I don't hesitate to believe they'd kill me if I tried to escape or let on that I know what they're doing to me._

_I need to figure out a plan, and fast._

**- Entry 9 - **  
_I've been moved._

_Once again, it's been about a week since I last wrote in you, but this time it wasn't my fault. I didn't have anything to write with until just today._

_They moved me to a true cell. If I thought my room was bad before, then this is Hell. No bed, no shower, no sink. The only thing I have is a bench and a toilet. The dim room itself is completely sealed off, as before, except with a heavy metal door._

_They're still keeping up with their pathetic lies, too. "You won't need any food," they keep telling me. I'm feeling weaker every day, despite the nutrients they feed my body when they take me at night. My stomach is in agony._

_It's taking all of my will power not to go insane. Actually, I'm surprise I'm still coherent. I guess my intellect truly is outstanding. Thankfully, it may be my savior, too._

_Let me explain that reasoning. I had a strange visitor by the name of Piers come and see me today; the first person I've seen since the headmaster and a few bulky-looking guards. Piers seemed different from them all. Aqua hair and a balanced build, probably not much older than I am. He had a reasonably welcoming face. I found out he was a scientist. He had a story, like they all do, but this guy is different..._

_He only told me his story in front of the guards. Once we were alone in my cell together, he hit me with this:_

_"Kraden, I need your help saving Weyard."_

_He didn't tell me anything else about that. He just said that that bastard of a headmaster has been stealing **you** when I'm sleeping! Sleeping, put unconscious, whatever you want to call it. The point is, they've been reading all of my thoughts!_

_Piers is such a brilliant guy. He provided me with a special pen. Invisible ink! The only thing that reveals it is this purple flashlight he gave me. They're both small enough that I can hide them in the toilet lid, so nobody knows a thing. This entire entry will be concealed! Ha! Take that, Dodonpa!_

_Piers is going to return tomorrow to discuss more details. Apparently he can come and go as he pleases due to his status or rank, or something like that. It's good to have another friend..._

_Not that I'm about to forget you, of course._

**- Entry 10 - **  
_Good evening, Journal._

_Piers explained a lot to me today. He told me that I'm not in a school (this part I had pretty much figured out myself), but instead, I'm about a thousand feet beneath the city. The facility I'm in is apparently under the Chimera Corporation's headquarters. It's where everybody who goes to the Special School ends up. Piers says he's a high profile scientist working at the company._

_Let me tell you a little bit about Chimera Corp. They're **the** company in Weyard. They're the whole reason I got into chemistry. The company started off dealing with medicinal compounds and research, but eventually they branched out. They're so rooted into Weyard now that if Chimera Corp. went out of business, all of Weyard would be in trouble. Household chemicals, medicine, hospitals, food, appliances... Nearly everything is manufactured or managed there. For some reason, the name of the founder and CEO of Chimera Corp. was never public knowledge. Even Piers only knows him by his first name._

_Alex._

_For such a massive company, the name seems so simple. I must confess I'm a little disappointed._

_It was always my dream to work at Chimera Corporation's research facility. I never thought I'd be imprisoned beneath it._

_Piers says it's where every person who poses a potential threat to the society the government is crafting in Weyard is placed. Every person who disappeared without a trace is located in one of the many cells underneath Chimera Corporation Headquarters. Well...every person who wasn't killed, that is._

_Eventually prisoners are forced into a coma, where they remain until they're needed. I asked what we might be needed for, and Piers' expression went grim._

_"Testing," he said quietly._

_I didn't pursue the subject any further._

_Another strange thing is that Chimera Corp. is the one providing Babi with the life-extension formula. Piers didn't tell me what for, just that it's more of a bribe than anything. The company popped up thirty years ago, around the time Babi stopped aging. It's not a coincidence. I theorize that Babi funded the fledgling Chimera Corp in return for the life-extension formula. It would also explain why Chimera Corp. is so integrated into Weyard. Just what is this Alex fellow up to?_

_Piers hinted at it tonight. Alex is searching for something. That's all Piers would say. I think he's still a little nervous he's going to be found out._

_The assistance Piers needed surprised me quite a bit. He wants my help finishing a formula. He promised me freedom if I help him, and he also told me he'd explain how I'm helping save Weyard once we get further along. I'm intrigued. He briefly went over how the formula would work, and, to be honest, it sounds difficult. I'd explain it all here, but it's so complicated and this entry is already so long... My hand is aching badly. I just had to put a lot of my thoughts down, though; I was worried I'd go crazy._

_Until next time, Journal._

**- Entry 11 - **  
_It's been a while, Journal. Several weeks, I think. I've been doing enough writing. Not entries, mind you, but I have been writing in you. I've been using your back pages to visualize the formula Piers and I are creating._

_He visits me once a day and we trade information. Sometimes he brings me something to eat, hiding in his pockets. A good thing, too. I think I'm going insane._

_This formula is so advanced. There's so much to it... It's impossible._

_Damn it. I just want to go home._

**- Entry 12 - **  
_Don't let me do this, Journal. It's too dangerous. The formula will destroy Weyard..._

_I don't even know what I'm doing anymore._

_-Kraden_

**- Entry 13 - **  
_I broke down in front of Piers the other day. It's been weeks since we've started this, and we've made very little progress. I confessed to him my doubts._

_He told me how we'll save Weyard. See... Alex wants this formula. Piers and I are the only two in the entire city who could create it. Alex doesn't know about me, but he's got Piers working on it._

_I asked Piers how I know I can trust him not to give the formula to Alex. Even more concerning would be if Alex gave the formula to Babi. The misuse would be too great._

_Piers smiled and shook his head. He told me that Chimera Corp. and the government may be two things to the public eye, but the way Alex has things going, they're really one in the same. Governor Babi is just a figurehead, while Alex runs things behind the scenes, using his life-extension formula to bribe Babi into doing his bidding. I guess Babi is so afraid of death, he'd send Weyard to Hell just to live longer._

_It was a lot to swallow, but Piers was patient and took hours to convince me of it. Even after having time to cope with the revelation, I still get shivers down my spine._

_The formula we've been creating is something Alex has been desperately trying to come up with. Alex is smart, but not smart enough, so he contracted Piers with the job. Piers explained to me that he came so close to creating it without thinking about it, he almost doomed the city._

_Again, shivers down my spine._

_Piers still has to provide Alex with **something**. He has a mother and uncle that he feels would be in danger if he bowed out now after making many promises to Alex. He knows his family is constantly under surveillance._

_His plan is simple. Complete the formula, but make it into four parts instead of one. Give Alex one part that for all intents and purposes will act as Alex expects at first, then once his guard is down, Piers and his family escape into hiding._

_"Hiding where?" I asked him. Where is there to hide in a city like this?_

_He just told me he knows of a place to start. He told me I could go with him, too._

_Immediately my thoughts went back to my own family. Piers must have recognized the expression on my face._

_Like I said earlier, I broke down in front of my...partner, I guess I can call him. I didn't break down because of the stress._

_I started sobbing like a little kid when he told me I could never see my family again._

_It took me a few moments to grasp it, but I realized he's right. He told me that if I escaped and made contact with my family, they'd be in danger. I couldn't do that to them. When I gave them that hug before I left home for this place, I never thought it would be the last time I ever saw them._

_I need to take a break._

**- Entry 14 - **  
_After I had my emotional moment, I asked Piers what he planned on doing with the other three parts of the formula. I had no idea how far along he planned this out._

_All four parts of the true formula will have healing properties imbued in them. Piers has carefully selected a few terminally ill children to give the parts to. If we do this correctly, it will cure them._

_And imbue them with the mind-boggling side-effects._

_Earth, Fire, Wind, Water... I'm afraid in the coming years Weyard will know just what those words truly mean. I'd back out now, but it must be done to save their lives. Piers added the point that it would give us a hand to play against Alex in the future to finally rid Weyard of his corruptive influence. If the formula works as planned, then whoever gets it will potentially be the most powerful people on the planet. Saving their lives would put them on our side, or so goes the theory. Alex will have one, but we will have many. It's all in the numbers..._

_I'm afraid, Journal. I'm afraid because tonight I finally figured out the formula._

_I can make it work. I've never been so scared in my life._

**- Entry 15 - **  
_We did it. It's finished._

_I haven't written in you for over a month, because to you, time between writings happens in a blink of an eye. I didn't want to leave you in suspense, Journal._

_The formula is done. It's finished, and in four parts._

_Four parts of a whole formula. Four colors. Four elements._

_I'm ashamed to admit that we've created enough to give to over a dozen people. Piers says it's okay; he'll just track down more children that need it. Always children, he says. The adults are too far gone to save. I knew what he meant by that, and it didn't have anything to do with any terminal illnesses._

_Piers shocked me by administering one part of the formula to himself; the one we call Mercury. I nearly passed out when he grabbed one of the vials, pulled out a syringe, and injected himself. For a few minutes, I thought he'd been tricking me after all, and **he** was this Alex fellow._

_I was relieved to hear him say that he didn't want to give it to the children without making sure it was safe. Truly the reasoning of a good man._

_With the formula complete, Piers is going to take one of the Mercury vials to Alex. Then, he's going to come back tonight and break me out._

_Journal, I'm going to get out of here. I can't wait!_

**- Entry 16 -**  
_Everything went wrong, Journal._

_I'm out, hiding in the city. Piers told me where the rendezvous point is, where we'll be picked up by people who can hide us. I'm there now, waiting... I'm afraid Piers may have been captured._

_I assume Alex quickly figured out Piers wasn't being completely honest with him. Not even an hour after Piers handed over the Mercury vial, things went bad. Piers was walking me out of my cell when Dodonpa appeared with some guards and stopped us._

_We managed to escape due to a head start. Once we got out into the city, Piers handed me half of the vials, while he took the other half. He gave me a list of names and addresses, and told me to do whatever it took to administer the formula to the names on the list._

_Isaac, Garet, Ivan, Mia. One of each element for them._

_Piers had three names of his own. Siblings, I think, and a girl._

_I had no idea how I would get the formula inside the kids. Being the genius I am, though, it wasn't long before I came up with an idea._

_Everybody knows of Chimera Corp. being a pioneer of medicine. I simply knocked on their apartment doors and told the parents I was a scientist from Chimera Corp., and I had medicine that would save their kids' lives._

_Fortunately for me, the news has done such a great job of glorifying Chimera Corp. that I had no issues with the parents. They believed me so quickly; they were willing to try anything at that point, I guess._

_So it's done. The kids will be saved, and me...I get to hide for the rest of my life._

_Where the hell is Piers?_

**- Entry 17 -**  
_Piers is definitely captured. I saw it with my own eyes... I have no idea what to do now..._

_Piers finished his list, too, I think. Just as he approached our rendezvous point (an alley between some apartment complexes) the agents caught up to him. I can see why people fear them..._

_He tried to fight them off, but they quickly subdued him. He still had some of the formulas on him, but he managed to smash them. All but one. It didn't break._

_A red one. The one called Mars._

_They took the formula and Piers. I couldn't believe it. I don't know what will happen to his family._

_Everything is so dangerous now. The city doesn't feel like it used to now that I know some of its ugly secrets... And if Chimera Corp. has the Mars and Mercury formula, they're halfway to the true formula. The formula written on your pages..._

_I'm sorry Journal. I have to get rid of you; I can't keep you with me any longer. They'll search everything I have for the formula now that they know I've been working with Piers. If they find the formula on your pages, then Alex wins. He'll be able to create the remaining Venus and Jupiter formulas all over again and complete the true formula. I don't know what that entails, but it can never be good with a man like him._

_This is my last entry. I've decided that when Piers' contact gets here, I'll go with them into hiding. I can't take you with me anymore..._

_Goodbye, Journal. You've been a true friend._

_Sorry..._

* * *

**End:**_ Prologue_


	2. Chapter One

**_Shades of Conspiracy_**  
**By Joker's Specter**

**In the previous story I introduced nearly every character in this chapter. I regret doing that, and I've set out to change it this time around. Quite a few will be introduced, but it will spend more time focusing on those that get their time in this chapter. Next chapter should introduce a few others, and so on, until every character has a chance to develop.**

**Also, I apologize about the several months in between updates. I've had a very busy life so far this year. I may have rushed this chapter a bit, but after some time I may go through and edit it a bit as I see fit. Nothing major will be changed, so don't worry about rereading. If there are any glaring errors, let me know, and I'll get them fixed as soon as I can. In the same review, if you'd like to mention what you enjoy so far about the story, I'd appreciate that. Thank you for reading.**  
**-Joker**

**_Chapter One_**

* * *

**_"Have you ever truly been challenged by life?"_**

_The teenager's sobs echoed through the empty halls of his school. His hands covered his face, begging for the tears to stop. Blood ran down his swollen lip._

_The boisterous, painful laughter of the bullies had long since disappeared. They'd had their fun with him; when he finally stopped pleading with them, he was discarded as nothing more than trash._

_The broken boy slowly gathered his destroyed things with trembling hands and left the school._

**!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!  
!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!**

**_Ten Years Later_**

"Isaac! Come on; you're going to miss it!"

A pair of blue eyes slowly opened and focused on the dark bedroom in front of them. Isaac wiped the drool off from his cheek and sat up with half-closed eyes. His golden shaggy hair stuck out at random angles, and his face had a red mark on it where he had been sleeping on his arm. The teenager stretched, popping a few joints in the process, and then climbed to his feet. He wasn't sure of what it was his parents were frantic about him not missing, but if he didn't find out for himself, then he'd find out later from their annoying, conflicting explanations.

However often his parents watched something on TV, they always seemed to view it differently. Throughout his life, Isaac learned that it mostly came from his mother being opinionated, and his father, at some point in his marriage, finally getting tired of his spouse always being right. The golden-haired boy had done a magnificent job remaining neutral to it all; both of his parents still loved him.

Isaac trudged out to the living room with his socks flopping halfway off of his feet. As he reached the couch where his parents sat in front of the television, he kicked them off into the corner.

"Pick those up when this is over," Dora said in a harsh voice. She didn't even bother taking her eyes off of the brightly-lit screen that was imbedded into the wall on the opposite side of them. "I'm tired of you leaving those around."

Isaac gave an incoherent mumble as a reply, and collapsed on a soft easy chair a few feet away from where his parents sat.

The apartment Isaac and his parents lived in looked identical to every other home in Weyard, excluding the complexes built for larger families; the only addition to those were extra rooms, table space, and seating.

Inside the metallic blue apartments, each room had a reasonably sized kitchen. The refrigerator and freezer combo unit sat in one corner of the kitchen, and from there, every other kitchen appliance that could ever be needed by the common family was dotted throughout the tiled room. Everything was streamlined and efficient, and worked perfectly, right down to the impossible-to-stain kitchen counter. Disposing of food and waste was handled outside of the apartment, using a self-cleaning chute in the wall next to the fridge that sent garbage and food remains to a hatchway that vaporized it all into powder, then deposited it all into the apartment's boiler.

Adjacent to the kitchen was the living room, with the dining table set between the two rooms. Every living room had the same sky-blue colored couch, with a matching set of reclining easy chairs. The only difference that one apartment might have from the next is where the occupants decide to put their furniture.

And then there was the massive television; Weyard's window to Weyard, as some called it. Every unit had its television pre-programmed with easy-to-remember stations. Every single network was based in Weyard, so there were no shows produced from other cities. Cartoons, documentaries, dramas, news; everything came from the government owned networks.

Isaac's world was inside that apartment.

"What are we watching?" Isaac asked, rubbing his eyes. His parents didn't know the meaning of the phrase "sleep in".

"Channel 4 news," Dora said, turning the volume up. "They're going to talk about those attacks."

"I wanted the news on channel 3," Isaac's dad, Kyle, muttered. "She got to the remote first."

Dora glared at her husband. "I know why you want it on that station, and let me tell you, if you keep ogling that news anchor woman, I'll break all of the channel buttons off of the remote and TV so it _stays_on this station for good!" she stated in a huffy tone.

Isaac and Kyle exchanged glances. They both knew she was serious and would follow through with her threat.

"Now, Honey," Kyle said, running his hand over Dora's shoulder and pulling her into an embrace. "You know you're the one for me. News anchors are meant to grab the viewer's attention; it can't be helped sometimes."

Dora turned her head and ignored Kyle.

"Try again, Dad," Isaac said, feeling amused and awkward at the same time. He had since learned that their bickering would never truly lead to any break-up, but he still thought they were weird.

A hand went to Kyle's mouth. "Shh! It's on!" Dora exclaimed, turning the volume up.

"Good morning, and thanks for joining us," the news anchor on the television said in a deep baritone voice. "Our top story today: Recent Prox Group activities have sent questions throughout Weyard."

"This is it!" Dora said excitedly. "I knew they'd be talking about it!"

Isaac perked up in his chair. The Prox Group had been all over the news since their recent appearance months ago. Not much was known about them, as they apparently spent most of their time in old Weyard. However, a recent attack in new Weyard had sent shockwaves throughout the people in the city. There were rumors that footage had been shot of the group, but no news outlet had come forward stating they had anything to show.

"...and now we go live to Governor Babi's press conference on the matter."

The image switched over to a conference room. Standing up on stage was the dominating figure of Babi. The man oozed confidence and power in every word he spoke and movement he made.

The press were asking all sorts of questions. Isaac had a hard time hearing any of them while they all talked, until Babi motioned to a reporter near the front.

"Sir," the young man said, rising to his feet as the room quieted down. "A witness claimed the Prox Group can produce fire out of their hands. Is this true?"

Babi cleared his throat. "There's some truth to that. We don't know everything about them yet, but an autopsy of the victims showed that the cause of death was from severe burns. Even now, we're prepping our Agents against this new threat."

The murmur of questions began again. Babi pointed to a thin woman standing near the back of the room. "The lady in red," he said.

"Governor, where have they come from?" she asked from her seat.

Babi answered without missing a beat. "As of this time, we're unsure of that. Our intelligence indicates they're from a tribal region north of here, but we don't have much to go on other than that."

"Witnesses say they have strangely colored skin. Could that have any relation to them being from a tribal area?" asked someone loudly before the questions could begin again.

"We believe so, yes," the Governor said with an affirming nod.

On and on the questions went. What were their names? Are there more than the few that have been seen? Why are they attacking people in Weyard? Babi's answer was similar to everything in that vein up until someone asked him what his plans were to stop the threat of the Prox Group.

"As I said before, the city's Agents are preparing to hunt down the Prox Group. With the information we have about possible fire use, we're developing new ways to counter that for our Agents to use." He paused to let the information sink in, then added, "Rest assured, these villains _will_be brought to justice. I will not rest until the citizens of Weyard are safe from harm."

That seemed to please the journalists, and a few minutes later the Governor abruptly ended the conference, stating he had business to attend to.

"Channel 4 news will keep Weyard up-to-date on the Governor's plans against this new threat," the anchor said as the screen switched back to his face.

Dora moved closer to Kyle. "That's so creepy, knowing those things are out there..."

"They're people, honey," Kyle said. "And the Governor said he'll take care of them."

His wife shook her head. "I don't think that old fool knows what he's doing. These Prox Group people are smart if they can get past that wall. I don't think I'm going to do my shopping alone anymore," she said, pulling herself closer to her husband.

Isaac tried to cover up his smile, but it was too late. "I think Isaac is volunteering to go with you," Kyle said with a mischevious grin.

"What? I did not!" Isaac exclaimed.

Dora shook her head. "No, no. I don't want him out there other than for school, and even then, I'm seriously thinking of pulling him out until these attacks stop," she said.

Isaac's eyebrows shot up. "Can you even do that?"

"Probably not," Kyle said, cutting Dora off from speaking. "I don't think the city would allow that."

"Mm, I suppose..." Dora replied, biting her lip.

Isaac felt like that would be impossible as well. The only people more strict than his own mother were the schooling officials.

He wasn't even sure why his parents were worrying in the first place. The person who was attacked was killed in an alley, according to the news. Never would Isaac find himself in an alley. It was rare that Isaac would find himself _anywhere_other than school and home. His mom and dad never really let him out of the house unless he was accompanied by them or at school. Close friends were non-existent to him. His best friends were his parents and his TV games. Not the greatest type of friends to have, but at least he hadn't gone insane yet.

The only other form of entertainment he had other than the electronic type of fun was when he could play with his action figures and make pretend battles out of the good guy Agents and the bad guy Homeless. The Agents always had the best stuff, so he made them win every time.

Inwardly sighing as his parents started to debate what to do about him, Isaac rose to his feet, gathered his dirty socks, and went to his room to kill time by setting up another battle between his figures.

**!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!  
!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!**

"I found a good one!" a young teenage girl exclaimed, tossing a sealed can to her partner across the room.

Ivan caught the can and brushed the blonde hair out of his eyes. "Peas. That's probably why it got left behind," he muttered.

"And it's a good thing, too," Sheba, his partner, said as she moved toward him. "Otherwise we might have gone without for tonight."

The pair of young teens were digging around in the crumbling basement of an old house that had looked like a wrecking ball was taken to it. That's how most of the houses in old Weyard appeared. Most of the upper-portion had been torn away by past battles between the fierce Agents in new Weyard and the rebels. What hadn't been destroyed by the battles was worn down by time and scavengers.

Ivan pocketed the can in his thin jacket and helped Sheba step over some twisted metal that had once been a set of moveable shelves. "We had to go pretty far out for this one..." he said with a worried tone in his voice. "It's getting worse."

Sheba gracefully climbed up onto an empty crate and peeked on top of an old wooden wardrobe for anything they might have missed. Dust stirred up everywhere around her. "That's your fault, Ivan. You're the one who wanted to eat something other than rats."

Grimacing, Ivan said, "I know, I know... I'm just so sick of them. They're so much trouble. I wanted something different."

"And now we're a ways away from the base if we ever need to run back to them," Sheba added as she stepped down. Dust fell off of her blonde hair as she shook her head.

Ivan looked up at the hole they had climbed through to reach the basement area of the home. "Well, we didn't tell them where we were going. If we're gone long enough, they'll come looking for us."

Sheba leaped over some scattered books and landed next to Ivan. As she bent down to pick up a book that looked interesting, she said, "Are you sure? The adults seem pretty spooked about going outside lately... And I don't think the ones we're with now are that fond of us." The book was in decent condition. She pocketed it.

Both of the teens knew nothing of their parents. Ivan's earliest memory was of himself and Sheba sharing some small portions of food that the adults had given them. He had always been with Sheba. For all he knew, they could be siblings. They both reasoned long ago that it was impossible to find out for sure. They had been moved from place to place, and never were around the same people for too long. Sometimes by choice, and sometimes they were forced out of one of the small communities that the Homeless thrived on.

In one of the smaller communities, they were taught the basics of reading by an elderly man who didn't seem to have anything better to do. He was going to teach them mathematics as well, but he had been killed by Agents while scavenging one day. The aging man had been the only person in that particular community that cared for the two children, so it wasn't long before they were banished.

Since then, Sheba enjoyed snatching books that were still in good condition to take with them. She and Ivan often curled up next to a candle to try to read it.

Ivan didn't say anything in response to Sheba's comments. After a beat of silence, he grabbed Sheba's hands and led her to the large hole that would take them outside. "Come with me. Let's try the place next door."

Despite her fears, Sheba followed Ivan. Finding an unopened can of anything in the wastes of Old Weyard was extremely rare, so Sheba's spirits were definitely higher than they had been minutes before.

"You think we'll find more food?" she asked, hope laced in her voice.

Ivan struggled with calloused hands to pull himself out of the hole. "I hope so, Sheba, because peas aren't much better than rats..."

"Yeah, but they're much better than dirt," Sheba quipped.

"By far."

"Never gonna try that again."

"That was a bad day. Never, ever again," Ivan said as they walked into the next broken-down home.

As the pair disappeared into the house out of the blinding sunlight, they didn't notice the group of men and women watching them from across the street.

**!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!  
!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!**

Sitting in the highest room of the Chimera Corporation headquarters, a blue-haired figure stared out of the massive window behind his desk. A calculating expression was spread across his clean-shaven face. It was the expression he usually wore, unflinching even in moments of surprise. Most people who stood in his presence felt naked and exposed, as if he were reading their every thoughts. The gears of his mind always appeared to be turning.

The spacious office of Chimera Corp. CEO and founder Alex was by no means elegant. Other than a clean desk and a saturated bookshelf lining the wall to a visitor's left side, there was nothing that stood out as important. Not a single photograph or painting could be seen, and the only decorative item in the room was a rug that ran along the carpet from the doorway to a spot in the front of the desk.

A square glassy panel that took up the center space of Alex's desk beeped. "Sir, the Governor is holding on line one," a pleasant female voice announced. A few seconds later, an image showing the face of a lady with her dark hair tied back in a pony-tail appeared on the screen set in the desk.

Alex didn't turn around to acknowledge that he'd heard his receptionist. His aqua eyes continued to roam over the gleaming city in his view.

"Sir?"

Again, Alex did nothing but study the city beneath him. His observant expression seemed to deepen as his eyes shifted from one section to the next.

After a hesitant moment, the receptionist reached her hand over to prepare to turn her end of the monitor off. "I understand, sir. I'll take a message," she said quietly.

Finally, Alex turned around in his chair. "That won't be necessary," he said in a calm, smooth voice. "I was just preparing my mental faculties to intake the garbage that is surely to come from his mouth. Line one, correct?"

The receptionist smiled nervously. "Yes, sir."

"Thank you, Vanessa," Alex said. "I appreciate the patience."

Vanessa's smile transformed into a genuine one. "My pleasure, sir."

When the connection between Vanessa had cut off, Alex exhaled and ran his fingers over the touch screen console in front of him. A whirring sound could be heard as the screen smoothly raised in the air on metal joints and tilted itself until it was directly in front of Alex's face. A glass panel slowly slid out of the top of Alex's desk and above his lap, replacing the touch screen as the mode of input.

Alex drummed his fingers along the glass touch screen keyboard casually, messing around with settings and making the Governor wait for a few minutes longer. After he felt he had put it off long enough, Alex connected to the Governor's call.

"Alex! There you are, you magnificent bastard!" a gruff voice shouted excitedly. A few seconds later, the video feed popped up, revealing the smiling face of Babi.

"Greetings, Babi. Do you need more of your formula?" Alex asked Babi with a blank face.

"Not today, Alex; I'm calling about the Prox Group!"

Alex had expected that to be the reason of the call. He reclined in his seat more, relaxing himself for the inevitable conversation that was to follow. "And what of them?"

Babi appeared to be unable to stay seated. He rose to his feet and said, "They're working out _perfectly_, Alex. A common enemy for the city to band against, with me leading the charge against them. Did you see the news today? This will make me legendary among Weyard's people for centuries to come!" He began pacing, unable to contain his excitement in a stationary position. "It helps that we know what they're up to at every moment."

"I'm glad it's working out for you," Alex said in a pleased voice. There was a hint of annoyance behind it that went over Babi's head.

"I had no idea you could create monsters; I would have requisitioned a group like this years ago!"

Alex nodded his head, causing his blue bangs to fall forward. After fixing them, he replied, "The Group is something I've been working on for a long time. It would have been impossible years ago."

Babi didn't seem to acknowledge what Alex had said. "We can use this further," he said, eyes down in thought as he paced. "I know just how we can do it, Alex. We can cement ourselves in history. Down the line, the Agents, led by me, could kill the Prox Group and save Weyard once and for all. When people start feeling bored or rebellious, we create vengeful family members that are related to the Prox Group. What do you think of that?"

"That's quite an idea," Alex said, allowing his eyebrow to raise slightly. "It's certainly something to consider."

Babi returned to his chair. "This opens up so many doors for us Alex. Years down the line we could even create an army of these Proxians and take over the world!" The older man's eyes were glazed over as his imagination went wild.

Alex smirked. "Now that would be something, wouldn't it? However, I myself am happy with our city here."

Finally frozen in place, Babi straightened up in his chair. "Yeah, well, you would be," he said, unsure of what to say. Alex took pleasure in that.

"We'll see how things go," Alex said nonchalantly. "In the mean time, the Prox Group will continue with my current orders."

Babi's smile returned. "I don't know everything that's going on, but with your brilliance, I don't want you to stop whatever it is you're doing!"

A smile slipped onto Alex's face. "You don't have to worry about that, Babi," the blue-haired man replied. "Nothing could deter me."

"Good to hear, Alex, good to hear."

Alex gave Babi a small wave. "I'll be going now. I have some business to attend to."

Babi hesitated, and then nodded. "Okay then. Keep me informed on what's going on this time, will you? The Prox Group was a pleasant surprise, but a surprise none-the-less."

"Absolutely, Babi. I'll give you weekly updates," Alex promised with a bow of his head.

Babi smiled. "Good man," he said, and then cut the connection.

Alex raised his head up and immediately his pale face hardened. His fingers ran over the smooth surface of the keyboard, and a chat line was opened up.

"Yeah?" a rough voice growled. On the screen, where the video image would normally appear, a message said, "Communication device not compatible."

"Where are you?" Alex asked the person on the other end.

The sound of yelling could be heard. "Old Weyard."

Alex's features softened. "I saw the news earlier. You've been entering my city again."

"We live there," the deep voice replied with a slight hiss.

"You live beneath my city, Saturos," Alex exclaimed, raising his voice just slightly. "You don't live _in _my city."

The speaker on the other end, Saturos, was silent.

"Do not travel above ground in my city unless I give you permission. Is that understood?" Alex questioned, trying his hardest to be calm. "Otherwise I'll destroy you just as slowly as I created you."

After a beat of a silence, Saturos spoke back. "We're chasing some brats. Permission to continue this later." Bitterness was laced throughout his voice.

Alex's eyebrows furrowed. "Forget the rebels. As I explained to you before, I want you to find the man named _Kraden_!" he ordered sharply.

Saturos' reply was quick. "They're getting in our way."

An exasperated sigh sounded out from Alex. He sunk back into his chair with his eyes closed. "You said you were chasing them. Cease the pursuit and continue on as I ordered."

A frustrated growl could be heard, and then the line cut off.

Undaunted, Alex immediately set up another call through his touch screen. The image of a man wearing a white lab coat and goggles appeared on the monitor.

The middle-aged man looked like he had just finished eating lunch. "Sir?"

"Gas the Proxians again when they return, Richard," Alex ordered in a calm voice. "They're starting to become disobedient."

**!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!  
!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!**

A fireball whizzed past Ivan's head.

"_Faster_!" he screamed to Sheba.

The two young blonde teens were running as fast as their legs could carry them through the broken-down streets of old Weyard. Concrete debris littered the roadside as the pair bolted past a house that had been blown up.

The young girl in front of Ivan didn't need to be told to twice. The pair hadn't taken two steps on their way back to their community when the strangely-colored men and women had shown up. From there, everything went downhill.

The pursuers originally started out with four in number, but after the blue-scaled man who seemed to be the leader stopped running, so did two of the others.

The one who continued to chase them scared Ivan most of all. A short-haired female that seemed to be obsessed with killing Ivan and Sheba. Her silky red hair gave him the chills each time he peeked over his shoulder to see if they'd lost her.

But she never stopped chasing.

A mailbox burst into flames and shattered to Ivan's right. Pieces of wood and metal scattered across the road, adding to the debris.

"Karst!" a loud, gruff voice shouted.

The terrifying woman who had been chasing Ivan and Sheba finally stopped running. Ivan allowed himself to slow down just a bit to save himself from passing out. His friend running ahead of him didn't mimic the action, and soon was a ways ahead of Ivan.

Ivan noticed that the woman, Karst, had her back turned to him. He quickly ducked behind a crumbling wall that had once served as a fence for a house.

"What?" she panted out, her chest rising and falling quickly as she caught her breath. "Why'd you all stop?"

The largest of the four approached Karst's location. He was a blue-skinned man with bulging muscles and beady eyes. He waited until he was next to Karst to resume speaking. "Saturos says to stop. Something about Alex."

Karst narrowed her fiery eyes. "Just when it was getting good," she hissed angrily.

Ivan ducked down just in time, as Karst swiveled back around and looked in the direction Sheba was running. She was too far away for Karst to do anything.

"Bah. I suppose just one will have to do," she muttered. Her body glowed red, and flames started to collect around her hand. Several seconds later, an intense fireball had built in her hand. It was more powerful than any of the others she could have summoned while expelling energy in running. With a glint in her eye, she shouted and launched it, sending it flying right at Ivan's location.

Ivan, still hidden behind the wall, didn't see it coming. The force of the fireball exploded the fence in a shower of flames and rubble.

The man covered his head from the small bits of debris that rained down over the pair. "Feel better?"

"Yup. Let's go, Aggie," Karst replied with a sing-song voice. She turned and began to walk back to where their companions were waiting, humming merrily to herself.

"Quit calling me that," the man snapped as they disappeared around a crumbling street.

**!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!  
!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!**

Sheba's lungs hurt as much as her feet. Still, with people throwing fireballs at her, she wasn't about to stop running. For about five minutes she ran without looking back, only to finally stop when she tripped over a protruding piece of the road and stumbled.

That's when she noticed Ivan was no longer with her.

Sheba's thin frame began to shiver. "I-Ivan?" she called out meekly, looking around the barren neighborhood she had found herself in. Houses that had been demolished in the years since new Weyard was constructed dotted her field of view. It was entirely possible that Ivan had decided to hide instead of continue running, but where could he be?

A dark thought sent chills down Sheba's already quivering body: What if Ivan had been captured by the people who had been chasing them?

What if he had been _killed_?

Worry flooded Sheba's mind as she began to backtrack slowly. Her eyes rapidly scanned the landscape as she traversed it, partly to look for Ivan, and partly to make sure she wasn't in any danger.

There was no sign of her life-long friend or their attackers anywhere. Sheba mentally kicked herself for not keeping tabs on Ivan. He had a bad habit of disappearing; usually it was his curiosity that pulled him away from the task they were trying to focus on.

That had been what originally notified the strangely colored men and women to their presence. Sheba and Ivan were scavenging for food in the old downtown neighborhoods when they had heard arguing. Sheba wanted to run and hide, but Ivan couldn't let it go; he had to see what was going on.

Not two minutes later, the four men and women were chasing them, hurling _fire_at the young teenagers. Sheba shuddered at the memory of it. The worst part of it was that she could actually feel the heat, even if the attack landed a good distance away from her.

Sheba continued searching for her friend, making slow progress back the way she had come. The blonde girl was reasonably satisfied that she was safe, but didn't want to take any chances. The shadows covered her as she zig-zagged through yards, never staying out in the open for long. It was something she had learned early on in her life.

The smell of charred objects began to fill Sheba's nostrils. She knew that she was approaching the area where the group had probably sent their last attack. If anything, Ivan would be around somewhere. She silently prayed to herself that he was simply hiding in hopes of getting another glimpse at the armored people. It wouldn't be unlike him.

Sheba surveyed the scene around her, looking for any hint that Ivan was around. He would at least know to stay in the shadows, even with nobody present. Her green eyes roamed the areas between the broken-down houses, and then around any large debris where the sunlight created a significant dark area.

After moving down a few more houses, she saw a huge scorch mark surrounding a section of a wall that had been blown to pieces. Chunks of the wall had been thrown out in all directions, but for the most part it was centered around where the wall had been.

A scream caught in Sheba's throat. Laying about ten feet from the crumbling wall was her friend. He wasn't moving.

"Ivan!" Sheba hissed, still nervous of being caught. Her panic soon caught up to her when she approached him and saw the condition his body was in.

His arms were bent out in unnatural directions, and one of his legs was crushed underneath a large portion of the wall. His normally blonde head was tainted red as a deep laceration on the backside of his head oozed blood. Parts of his clothing had been burned away, revealing scorched, blistering skin around his torso, neck, and shoulders.

Sheba hastily moved next to Ivan's body, falling to her knees and turning his head over. "_Ivan_! _No_!" she screamed. The shock was beginning to drown out her sense of caution.

Blood was smeared around the lower part of Ivan's face as it ran from between his open lips. His eyes were partially open, but he didn't appear to be conscious.

Panicked, the girl began to violently shake Ivan. Her eyes began to well up with tears, which spilled over onto her cheeks. "No no no, oh God no, no no no nooo! _IVAN_!" she squealed, pulling his head onto her lap and holding him. Sobs escaped her tight throat as she began to breathe irregularly from the shock.

The sun began to set in the distance as Sheba's wails filled the empty, cold air.

**!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!  
!-L- -U- -N- -I- -T-!**

The ground beneath Weyard concealed a secret that most people in the city knew nothing about. While constructing the city, the contractors were hired to do something extra.

Tunnels and walkways laced and stretched throughout the underground of Weyard. Most of them were unfinished, or ended abruptly, but a few came in handy for those who walked the narrow, dank hallways.

The Prox Group called those tunnels home.

As the sun began to disappear behind the great wall that boxed the two cities in from the outside world, the Proxians left the world above ground, disappearing into one of the many concealed hatches that led to their hideaway. That had been their routine for the few months since they had been released to do Alex's bidding.

The leader of the group was a man named Saturos. Tall and slender, he had the form of a man, but the physical similarities ended there. His skin was made up of several shades of blue and had rough scales protruding out of certain areas, particularly around his shoulders and arms. His ears were tall and pointy, and branched out into two tips instead of one. Even his silvery-blue hair seemed unnatural as it flopped over one of his red, menacing eyes, as if a claw were ready to grab his face. While he was definitely built for battle, his real strengths were his highly developed wit and agility.

Before he had been sent out on missions, he had been rigged with a type of armor, impenetrable to almost anything. The durable steel allowed him to blow things up in close proximity without harming his torso, and his rough skin proved to act like a second layer of armor when he was in the middle of a brutal backlash from his wild attacks.

As an added item of protection, there was a blue cape strapped to the back of his curved armor that would protect him from harsh weather.

Walking beside Saturos was his second-in-command, Menardi. Much like Saturos, she was built more to use her head than her strength. Her red eyes always seemed to flash a little gleam of intelligence that told people she knew more than she would let on. Her long, flowing blonde hair often accentuated her oddly beautiful face as it curved down her cheeks and rested on her breastplate.

Unlike her male counterparts, her skin was made up of red and white tints, and her scales were less noticeable. Her most distinctive feature on her skin were the red markings around her eyes, as if she were wearing heavy amounts of make-up.

Like Saturos, her armor was strong and durable, but it was more form-fitting, curving around her breasts and hugging her stomach and hips. The armor ended there, and instead was replaced with a tough fabric that was woven into a skirt that ran down to below her knees, revealing tights and a tall pair of boots underneath.

Following closely behind them were the other two members of the Prox Group: Karst and Agatio. The second half of the Prox Group preferred to handle things in a purely physical manner. Most of the murders that plagued Old Weyard in the previous weeks were caused by the short, agile Karst, and the large, muscular Agatio.

Karst, always one to cause a scene, dressed to be the eye-catcher of the group. The short skirt and dual red capes accentuated her wild-side almost as much as her fiery red hair. Opting out of wearing the metal armor her companions wore, she instead chose a thick leather two-piece outfit that left her pink stomach showing. Whenever a human scientist would ask why she didn't wear the armor she had been given, she would respond by punching them in the face.

For his part, Agatio had been told he could do with losing a few articles of clothing. Karst punched those people in the face, too, for good measure.

Agatio's outfit was the thickest of the group's. Heavy, weighted boots led into thick black leggings that would take a butcher knife to hack through. His torso, arms, and head were covered in a similar fashion, decorated by by shades of purple and green. A jagged cape hung from his back, serving no purpose other than the large man wanting a cape like everybody else.

"Are we going to report in to Alex?" Menardi asked as the group traveled into a tunnel that would take them to the lowest area of the Chimera Corp. Headquarters.

Saturos grunted. "No. And I wouldn't want to, anyway."

Menardi raised an eyebrow and cracked a smile. "That's strange. I thought you were ready to give him a piece of your mind."

"That can wait," Saturos muttered, keeping his eyes forward. "I'm tired..."

Menardi slowly moved closer to Saturos and gently rubbed his back. She was about to say something, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, a hissing sound filled the tunnel.

Karst spun on her heel and shot a random fireball behind the group. "What's that?" she asked casually, shooting off another ball of fire for good measure.

Agatio grabbed Karst's hand. "It's not coming from back there."

The hissing sound grew louder.

"I know that," Karst snapped, wrenching her hand from Agatio's grasp. "I just wanted to be sure."

"_Quiet_!" Saturos barked. All four of them went as silent as possible.

As they stood there in silence, the room began to get misty. What little light there was from bulbs spaced every hundred yards revealed that the dim concrete hallway was getting pumped with a heavy mist from vents set in the ceiling.

Karst shot a fireball at the vent. "I don't know what it could be," she said as the mist began to swirl around the Proxians.

It was Saturos who first figured it out. "Cover your mouths!" he said, grabbing his cape and wrapping it around his face.

Agatio's eyelids began to get droopy. Being the tallest, he had inhaled the mist before the others. "I don' feel so...good..." He wavered a bit on his heavy feet, and then collapsed against the wall, sliding down to the cement flooring.

Karst fell to her knees and shook her companion. "Aggy?" she said, rocking a bit before falling over.

"Damn it!" Saturos cursed, looking over at Menardi who had mimicked his action of using his cape to cover his mouth.

Menardi's eyes began to dilate. "I think...we're..." she started to say. She stumbled forward, dropping the cape to catch herself against Saturos. "T-too late..." she murmured, finishing her sentence. She lost consciousness. Saturos caught her around her waist with one hand and gently laid her down just as he felt his head swimming.

With a frustrated growl, Saturos struggled to stay awake. Visions danced in front of his eyes as they went in and out of focus. Finally, blackness overcame him, and the last sensation he felt was his body landing on the hard floor.

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter One_


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